Wednesday, June 3, 2009

A front porch is more than a shelter from the elements. It's a friendly face on a home, a comfortable bridge between our private lives and our public selves. And almost by its very presence, it conveys neighborliness.

That's a big part of the reason housing experts believe the front porch is regaining its importance in home construction.

Increasing demand for front porches in new homes was projected by most of the 60 builders, architects, designers and other specialists who were surveyed for the National Association of Home Builders' Home of the Future study in 2007.

Among the panelists, 70 percent predicted front porches would become popular in new homes of about 2,400 square feet, while 79 percent expected it to be a desired feature in upscale homes of 3,000 feet or more. The experts aren't talking about porches intended primarily for decoration, noted Steve Melman, the association's director of economic services.

"This is something where you could actually sit out," a covered space big enough to accommodate a swing or a table and chairs. Melman thinks the movement has several roots.

Front porches fit with the trend toward traditional home design, and they meet homeowners' desire for a more casual lifestyle, he said.

What's more, Melman said, porches feed people's desire to belong. A front porch is an icon of the American neighborhood, and its presence helps create a sense of community almost instantly".

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A NYS architectural firm consisting of Registered Architects and LEED accredited professionals located in the historic Hudson River City of Peekskill, NY at the Peekskill Arts Lofts. Please contact us to help you turn your dreams into reality. Contact us if you need help with your next residential or commercial renovation, alteration, or addition. We can help you with your existing property by identifying construction cost savings, energy losses, tenant plans, and expediting projects. We perform commercial or residential pre-purchase inspections, pre-sale legalizations of non-conforming existing improvements, and construction administartion. Unlike doctors - we do make house calls!

Recommended Reference Materials

A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia & Leigh McAlester, published by Knopf. A guide that enables you to identify, and place in their historic and architectural contexts, the houses you see in your neighborhood or in your travels across America, from the 17th Century to the Present.